Angled clamp assembly for mounting panels to I-beams

Abstract

A clamp assembly is provided for securing a panel or fairing to an I-beam, and comprises a pair of side blocks and a clamping block having a central body and a flat surface at at least one end of the central body. The side blocks and the clamping block are secured together using a single bolt. The flat surface at the end of the central body is positioned at an angle to the central body, so as to provide an angled surface for mounting of a fairing.

I claim: 
     
       1. A clamp assembly for securing a panel to an I-beam by a wedging action between side blocks and a clamping block, wherein said clamping block comprises a central body having first and second ends, an upper surface, side surfaces, and a bottom surface, and having a first flat surface at the first end and a second flat surface at the second end of the central body, and the first flat surface extends across the first end of the central body and the second flat surface extends across the second end of the central body, and which flat surfaces act as attachment points for attachment of a panel to the clamp assembly, wherein said first and second flat surfaces are each disposed in a perpendicular disposition, in a vertical direction, with respect to the central body, so as to provide vertically perpendicular face surfaces, with respect to the I-beam, and said first and second flat surfaces are also angled at a non-perpendicular angle, in a horizontal direction, with respect to the central body, so as to provide non-perpendicular angles between each of the first and second flat surfaces and the central body, the first flat surface is at a first non-perpendicular angle to the central body and the second flat surface is at a second non-perpendicular angle to the central body and the I-beam, and the first non-perpendicular angle is equal to the second non-perpendicular angle but in an opposite direction, and thus said first and second flat surfaces are each additionally configured to be horizontally angled at a non-perpendicular angle, to the I-beam. 
     
     
       2. A clamp assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said first and second flat surfaces are each horizontally angled at an angle of between 5° to 75° to the central body. 
     
     
       3. A clamp assembly as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said first and second flat surfaces are each horizontally angled at an angle of between 7.5° to 60° to the central body. 
     
     
       4. A clamp assembly as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said first and second flat surfaces are each horizontally angled at an angle of between 10° to 45° to the central body. 
     
     
       5. A clamp assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said side blocks additionally comprise a series of corrugations provided on each lower clamping surface of each of the side blocks to aid in securing the side blocks to the I-beam. 
     
     
       6. A clamp assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said central body has a pair of sloping wedge surfaces along the side surfaces of the central body, and each of the sloping wedge surfaces slopes downwardly and inwardly along at least a portion of the length of the central body, from said sloping wedge's intersection with the upper surface of the central body to a respective intersection with the bottom surface thereof, and
 wherein each of the side blocks are each in the shape of an inverted “L”, and each has a side block upper surface, side block outer side surfaces, and side block end surfaces, all in mutually perpendicular relationship to one another, and a side block bottom surface which is parallel to the side block upper surface, and which includes a lower clamping surface which is parallel to the side block upper surface, and wherein each of side block includes an inclined wedge surface extending downwardly and outwardly from said inclined wedge surface's intersection with the lower clamping surface to said inclined wedge surface's intersection with the side block bottom surface. 
 
     
     
       7. A clamp assembly as claimed in  claim 6  wherein each side block and optionally the central body, has at least one set of aligned openings, which is or which are formed through the side block and the central body so that the inclined wedge surfaces of the side blocks act on the sloping wedge surfaces of the central body to create a wedging force that clamps the clamp assembly, and wherein a single bolt is provided to attach the clamping assembly to the I-beam. 
     
     
       8. A clamp assembly as claimed in  claim 7  wherein said bolt is tightened so as to create the wedging action that securely attaches the clamping assembly to the I-beam. 
     
     
       9. A clamp assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said flat surface extends beyond the side surfaces of the central body. 
     
     
       10. A clamp assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said clamp assembly additionally includes an attachment surface which can be attached to the first or second flat surface at either the first or second end of the central body. 
     
     
       11. A clamp assembly as claimed in  claim 1  additionally comprising a resiliently flexible strut as a panel support device. 
     
     
       12. A clamp assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said panel is a fairing. 
     
     
       13. A fairing mounting system comprising a plurality of clamp assemblies as claimed in  claim 11  in combination with a panel, which system is adapted to be mounted to a plurality of I-beams on a cargo trailer.